Hi-Point Carbine
I frequently have gun envy, but I’m really eyeing the 9mm or .40 caliber carbine from Hi-Point. Now before you start pointing your finger and pitching a fit about how awful they are, hear me out. There is a reason why I’m interested in a gun with such a bad reputation.
I didn’t even know Hi-Point made a carbine until I came across a meme that a friend of mine recently posted on Facebook. I’ve long heard the echo chamber about how bad Hi-Point guns are. Unreliable, ugly, bulky, inaccurate, and any number of other adjectives that people use to hate on firearms. Honestly, though, I feel like most of these tales are exaggeration and hearsay. Most shooters that I know don’t own a Hi-Point, and few if any have ever even shot one. But oh, “those things are just awful” they say. Are they really?
From my perspective, Hi-Point is the Nickelback of firearms. For whatever reason, both are cool to hate. Everyone seems to have a negative opinion on them, but they really aren’t all that bad. In fact, in the context of what they are, I would even go so far as to say that Nickelback is a great example of frat rock. Hi-Point produces a line of firearms that are affordable, if a little less suave and refined than higher end manufacturers. There’s a time and a place for both.
Admittedly, the meme has a point. I’ve seen a similar version about riding mopeds, and I feel like the sentiment remains the same. Let me say first off, that there ain’t nothing wrong with a big girl. But even if there was, there’s a cultural standard that these people feel they have to live up to. Some unidentified authority has asserted that people shouldn’t enjoy riding mopeds, shooting Hi-Point firearms, or spending intimate time in the company of “fat chicks.” Who first decided this? What reasoning did they have? Who knows, but I don’t buy it one bit.
But after all this philosophical exploration in my head, I realized something: Hi-Point makes a pistol caliber carbine. I’ve wanted a 9mm or .40 caliber carbine for several years, since a friend let me fire one of his. I never knew what brand or style it was, and he had long since sold it before I was able to purchase my own firearms, so I wasn’t even sure how I might obtain one, or what to ask for.
When I learned of the offerings of Hi-Point, and how remarkably cheap they are, I got the fever. Under $300 for a firearm, specifically a carbine (which I don’t yet own)? That’s awesome. I haven’t purchased a new gun since I got my AR-15 6 years ago. And even though I don’t get to shoot near as much as I used to, living in the suburbs now, I am still passionate about my guns. Adding a new one to my collection is always somewhere on my to-do list.
But which to get? The 9mm would share an ammunition pool with the 9mm handgun that I already own, and functionally allow me to shoot both weapons from the same box of rounds. I don’t yet own any weapons chambered in .40 caliber, but… the Hi-Point .40 caliber handgun and carbine can apparently share magazines. Not officially, mind you, but owners of both have verified that the magazines are compatible with both guns. If I were to get a Hi-Point .40 caliber handgun, I could share magazines with the carbine that I would already theoretically own. As expensive as magazines can be, especially first party, being able to share mags would allow me to have more for each gun individually without purchasing more.
Between the two option, I’m inclined to go with the 9mm carbine. I already have a 9mm handgun that I am beyond satisfied with in my Sig Sauer P-250. Plus, being able to continue buying only 9mm ammunition for both the carbine and handgun would be convenient. Besides, I only have a single magazine for my handgun, and that hasn’t ever been a big issue for me. It would be nice to have more mags, sure, but it isn’t something worth buying 2 different firearms for, and dealing with the headache of more ammo types.
So when I buy a new gun, it will likely be the Hi-Point 9mm carbine. I understand that I’ll eat crow from all my firearm enthusiast friends, but I’ve accepted it. I guarantee you at least some are going to want to shoot it for themselves, even if they have a reputation to uphold. And that’s fine. I’ll use the money that I save on the gun itself to buy more ammunition. Even if the gun itself isn’t very glamorous, I guarantee you it’s fun to shoot.
They’re cheap, and Hi-Point firearms have a negative reputation, but it’s an attainable way to get a new gun that serves the purpose of plinking targets remarkably well. I’m not looking for something to defend myself. I’m looking for what is more or less a glorified toy, specifically one that is cheap to shoot. If that has people coming after my firearms hobbyist card, so be it.
Resources:
Hickok45. (2015, October 21). Hi-Point 9mm Carbine 995 TS. Retrieved September 24, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt4Le2SR0dQ
James L. (2015, October 15). Prepper Budget Carbine Review – Hi Point 40 cal carbine. Retrieved September 22, 2018, from http://planandprepared.com/2015/10/15/prepper-budget-carbine-review-hi-point-40-cal-carbine/
Leghorn, N. (2017, March 7). Gun Review: Hi Point Carbine 995TS [Updated 2018]. Retrieved September 22, 2018, from https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2017/03/foghorn/gun-review-hi-point-carbine-995ts-9mm/
Sundance, R. E. (2017, February 16). Hi-point's Affordable Pistol Power Carbine. Retrieved September 22, 2018, from https://www.sofmag.com/hi-points-affordable-pistol-power-carbine/
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| Source: https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/hi-point-firearms-995ts-carbine-9mm-semiautomatic-rifle-113885116 |
I didn’t even know Hi-Point made a carbine until I came across a meme that a friend of mine recently posted on Facebook. I’ve long heard the echo chamber about how bad Hi-Point guns are. Unreliable, ugly, bulky, inaccurate, and any number of other adjectives that people use to hate on firearms. Honestly, though, I feel like most of these tales are exaggeration and hearsay. Most shooters that I know don’t own a Hi-Point, and few if any have ever even shot one. But oh, “those things are just awful” they say. Are they really?
 |
| Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=429538197575166&id=245284549333866 |
From my perspective, Hi-Point is the Nickelback of firearms. For whatever reason, both are cool to hate. Everyone seems to have a negative opinion on them, but they really aren’t all that bad. In fact, in the context of what they are, I would even go so far as to say that Nickelback is a great example of frat rock. Hi-Point produces a line of firearms that are affordable, if a little less suave and refined than higher end manufacturers. There’s a time and a place for both.
Admittedly, the meme has a point. I’ve seen a similar version about riding mopeds, and I feel like the sentiment remains the same. Let me say first off, that there ain’t nothing wrong with a big girl. But even if there was, there’s a cultural standard that these people feel they have to live up to. Some unidentified authority has asserted that people shouldn’t enjoy riding mopeds, shooting Hi-Point firearms, or spending intimate time in the company of “fat chicks.” Who first decided this? What reasoning did they have? Who knows, but I don’t buy it one bit.
But after all this philosophical exploration in my head, I realized something: Hi-Point makes a pistol caliber carbine. I’ve wanted a 9mm or .40 caliber carbine for several years, since a friend let me fire one of his. I never knew what brand or style it was, and he had long since sold it before I was able to purchase my own firearms, so I wasn’t even sure how I might obtain one, or what to ask for.
When I learned of the offerings of Hi-Point, and how remarkably cheap they are, I got the fever. Under $300 for a firearm, specifically a carbine (which I don’t yet own)? That’s awesome. I haven’t purchased a new gun since I got my AR-15 6 years ago. And even though I don’t get to shoot near as much as I used to, living in the suburbs now, I am still passionate about my guns. Adding a new one to my collection is always somewhere on my to-do list.
But which to get? The 9mm would share an ammunition pool with the 9mm handgun that I already own, and functionally allow me to shoot both weapons from the same box of rounds. I don’t yet own any weapons chambered in .40 caliber, but… the Hi-Point .40 caliber handgun and carbine can apparently share magazines. Not officially, mind you, but owners of both have verified that the magazines are compatible with both guns. If I were to get a Hi-Point .40 caliber handgun, I could share magazines with the carbine that I would already theoretically own. As expensive as magazines can be, especially first party, being able to share mags would allow me to have more for each gun individually without purchasing more.
Between the two option, I’m inclined to go with the 9mm carbine. I already have a 9mm handgun that I am beyond satisfied with in my Sig Sauer P-250. Plus, being able to continue buying only 9mm ammunition for both the carbine and handgun would be convenient. Besides, I only have a single magazine for my handgun, and that hasn’t ever been a big issue for me. It would be nice to have more mags, sure, but it isn’t something worth buying 2 different firearms for, and dealing with the headache of more ammo types.
So when I buy a new gun, it will likely be the Hi-Point 9mm carbine. I understand that I’ll eat crow from all my firearm enthusiast friends, but I’ve accepted it. I guarantee you at least some are going to want to shoot it for themselves, even if they have a reputation to uphold. And that’s fine. I’ll use the money that I save on the gun itself to buy more ammunition. Even if the gun itself isn’t very glamorous, I guarantee you it’s fun to shoot.
They’re cheap, and Hi-Point firearms have a negative reputation, but it’s an attainable way to get a new gun that serves the purpose of plinking targets remarkably well. I’m not looking for something to defend myself. I’m looking for what is more or less a glorified toy, specifically one that is cheap to shoot. If that has people coming after my firearms hobbyist card, so be it.
Resources:
Hickok45. (2015, October 21). Hi-Point 9mm Carbine 995 TS. Retrieved September 24, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt4Le2SR0dQ
James L. (2015, October 15). Prepper Budget Carbine Review – Hi Point 40 cal carbine. Retrieved September 22, 2018, from http://planandprepared.com/2015/10/15/prepper-budget-carbine-review-hi-point-40-cal-carbine/
Leghorn, N. (2017, March 7). Gun Review: Hi Point Carbine 995TS [Updated 2018]. Retrieved September 22, 2018, from https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2017/03/foghorn/gun-review-hi-point-carbine-995ts-9mm/
Sundance, R. E. (2017, February 16). Hi-point's Affordable Pistol Power Carbine. Retrieved September 22, 2018, from https://www.sofmag.com/hi-points-affordable-pistol-power-carbine/
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